These PA Lawmakers Have 2022 Primary Challengers

By Harrison Cann, Special to the Capital-Star, Pennsylvania Capital-Star

April 11, 2022

These state lawmakers are in for a challenge.

With the state’s petition deadline already come and gone, we now have a clearer picture of state legislator races across the commonwealth. Pennsylvania’s redistricting process was enmeshed in a lengthy court battle, which led to candidates’ timelines for submitting petitions being shortened to avoid pushing back the May 17 primary.

The normal, three-week process was curtailed to just 11 days, forcing candidates to scramble to collect enough signatures to get on the ballot. Some lawmakers have complained that the primary should have been pushed back because the shorter petition period gives incumbents an advantage over new challengers. But that hasn’t stopped newcomers from bringing their names forward.

Three special election winners from April 5 will fill seats in Harrisburg through November, but they’ll be facing their own challengers in the May primary if they want to keep their new titles in 2023.

By our count, there are at least 49 instances where a current elected official is facing a challenger in the primary, including 27 Republicans and 22 Democrats. Nearly 20% of the 253 General Assembly members are facing a challenger, in addition to the 37 lawmakers who aren’t running for reelection, meaning more than a third of the seats in the legislature are up for grabs.

Now that the signature situation is over with, here is your guide to every challenger going up against an incumbent in the primary.

House Candidates:

5th Legislative District:

Incumbent:

Challenger(s):

8th Legislative District

Incumbent:

Challengers:

10th Legislative District

Incumbent:

Challenger(s):

11th Legislative District 47th Legislative District: 56th Legislative District 115th Legislative District 184th Legislative District 197th Legislative District 36th Senate District

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